'Poor, pale, Rusalka' : the polymorphic nature of the heroine of Dvořák's Rusalka : a thesis submitted to Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music in Musicology
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Date
2014
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Massey University
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Abstract
Rusalka, the protagonist of Antonín Dvořák’s eponymous opera, is probably one of the most unique
operatic heroines. Rusalka’s burning desire to become human in order to be with one and have a soul
takes her on an interesting, yet tragic journey. From water nymph to human to will-o-the-wisp,
Rusalka goes through three different states and two metamorphoses that leave her desire unfulfilled
and cause her to suffer continuously. The two metamorphoses cause Rusalka to remain between the
natural and human worlds, both of which reject her. This in turn leads to her eternal suffering. Her
tragic fate and constant agony portray her as a victim. And yet Rusalka is also a powerful character
who is in command of her own story: as the opera’s sole protagonist, we are encouraged to identify
with her perspective. She is constantly present throughout the opera. Even in the scenes that do not
require her presence, she communicates with us through absence and through other characters that
are, like us, influenced by her presence. And when Rusalka is silent, she connects with us through the
language of orchestral music; her mute exterior on stage eludes us and seeks our understanding and
sympathy. Thus, her powerful presence and the complexity of her nature draw us as the
readers/listeners/spectators to experience Rusalka’s story through her subjective perspective.
In order to reveal the nature of the character and how it affects us as readers/listeners/spectators, I
will use various approaches, with an emphasis on psychological concepts that will provide a new
insight into Rusalka and the opera as a whole. My research will also suggest the impact of fin-desiècle
misogyny on Rusalka and specifically her silence, which is the perhaps the most intriguing
aspect of the opera and its protagonist. The thesis will follow Rusalka’s journey, from the time and
culture of its creation to modern times, as portrayed in some of the more recent dramatic productions
that resituate these themes in light of more current perspectives. I will expose in turn the layers in
Rusalka: from the libretto and the music, to the use of voice, and finally the playing with meaning in a
few representative stage productions. In the second and third chapters, focusing on the libretto and
music respectively, I discuss the ways Rusalka articulates her nature, using the Freudian structural
model of the psyche for the analysis of the narrative and repetition in the libretto and music. The
analysis of music also points toward repetition as a key method, and I suggest connections with the
psychological concept of repetition, linked with desire and the death drive, as observed by Slavoj
Žižek and Renata Salecl. In the fourth chapter, I focus on the voice, more specifically the cry, in order
to explore the ways in which we experience the voice, which I believe is the central element that
causes a painful enjoyment (jouissance) in some of us, and in turn is key to our sympathetic empathy
with Rusalka. Finally, with Rusalka on stage, I explore the ways in which we, as audience, relate to
Rusalka’s suffering, focusing mainly on her silent state. With the addition of the layer of the gaze, I
focus on the spectators’ reaction to mute Rusalka and how, in a way, they participate in these
moments of suffering precisely through the gaze. Throughout the thesis, I demonstrate how Rusalka
communicates with us through the opera’s layers and how in return we respond to them, either by
sympathising or identifying with the protagonist.
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Keywords
Rusalka, Dvorak, Antonin Dvorak, Opera